Fairview-Riverside State Park is a couple of miles east of Madisonville on the  Tchefuncte River and is a welcome change after making our way through the traffic and noise of the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway approach area.

It has 81 W/E RV campsites in two areas and 20 tent campsites. A large area contains most of the sites while a much smaller area is right on the river and, in our opinion, very preferable.

There’s a long boardwalk for fishing and just watching the water.

Unfortunately although wifi is provided the connection is easily overwhelmed and unusable.

An attraction of the park is the Otis House, which was built in 1880 and is now a museum.

The Otis House

Next to the Otis House is this well-preserved steam engine and sawmill.

The Tchefuncte River.

119 Fairview Drive
Madisonville, LA 70447

985-845-3318

Fontainebleau SP is an expansive park on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain just east of Mandeville. Of note is the Tammany Trace Rails-to-Trails, which runs through the park.

The park contains 121 W/E campsites, five FHU sites and 37 tent sites and is suitable for big rigs.

We had s site on the east side with good satellite tv reception.

A strong WIFI signal was available throughout the campground but unfortunately it had no connection to the internet.
About a third of a mile towards the lake are the ruins of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville’s sugar mill, which operated from 1829 to 1852.

The tall chimneys are slowly crumbling.

The old boiler rusts away.

Along the road to the lakefront is a promenade of huge live oaks.

Many of the trees are so old their limbs touch the ground.

At the lakefront is a pier and pavillion.

The beach gives way to cypress swamp.

Fontainebleau State Park
62883 Hwy. 1089
Mandeville, LA 70448
985-624-4443